Low firing energy initiator pyrotechnic mixture

Abstract

Pyrotechnic compositions such as used in initiator devices and corresponding initiator devices having a low firing energy are provided. The pyrotechnic composition includes a mixture containing a fuel component which includes a quantity of at least one Iron Blue Pigment and an oxidizer component which includes at least one oxidizer effective, upon reaction initiation with at least a portion of the quantity of the at least one Iron Blue Pigment, to produce gaseous reaction products. The pyrotechnic composition may additionally include a burn rate enhancing additive such as zirconium metal powder.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A gas generant pyrotechnic composition comprising: 
       a mixture containing:  
       a fuel component comprising a quantity of at least one Iron Blue Pigment and  
       an oxidizer component comprising at least one oxidizer effective, upon reaction initiation with at least a portion of the quantity of the at least one Iron Blue Pigment, to produce gaseous reaction products and  
       additionally comprising a quantity of a burn rate enhancing additive effective wherein, upon ignition of the composition, the composition burns at an increased rate as compared to a similar composition without the inclusion of the burn rate enhancing additive.  
     
     
       2. The gas generant pyrotechnic composition of  claim 1  wherein the oxidizer component comprises potassium perchlorate. 
     
     
       3. The gas generant pyrotechnic composition of  claim 1  comprising about 12 to about 25 composition weight percent of the burn rate enhancing additive. 
     
     
       4. The gas generant pyrotechnic composition of  claim 1  wherein the burn rate enhancing additive comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of zirconium, titanium and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       5. The gas generant pyrotechnic composition of  claim 1  wherein the burn rate enhancing additive comprises a metal powder. 
     
     
       6. The gas generant pyrotechnic composition of  claim 1  wherein the burn rate enhancing additive comprises zirconium metal powder. 
     
     
       7. The gas generant pyrotechnic composition of  claim 6  wherein the zirconium metal powder is of a particle size in a range of at least about 0.5 microns to no more than about 4 microns in diameter. 
     
     
       8. The gas generant pyrotechnic composition of  claim 1  wherein the oxidizer component comprises potassium perchlorate, the burn rate enhancing additive comprises zirconium metal powder, and the composition contains about 15 to about 35 composition weight percent Iron Blue Pigment, about 45 to about 70 composition weight percent potassium perchlorate and about 12 to about 25 composition weight percent zirconium metal powder. 
     
     
       9. The gas generant pyrotechnic composition of  claim 1  additionally comprising at least about 0.25 and no more than about 6 composition weight percent of at least one additive selected from the group consisting of binders, rheology enhancers and wetting agents. 
     
     
       10. The gas generant pyrotechnic composition of  claim 9  wherein the composition contains a maleic anhydride-styrene copolymer in an alcohol-water mixture wetting agent. 
     
     
       11. The gas generant pyrotechnic composition of  claim 9  wherein the composition contains at least about 0.25 and no more than about 6 composition weight percent of a binder mixture comprising hydroxypropyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose and acetyl triethyl citrate. 
     
     
       12. The gas generant pyrotechnic composition of  claim 9  wherein the composition contains at least about 0.25 and no more than about 6 composition weight percent of a binder mixture comprising a polyacrylate emulsion and alcohol. 
     
     
       13. An initiator device comprising: 
       a charge holder housing containing the gas generant pyrotechnic composition of  claim 1  and  
       an initiator transducer in reaction initiating communication with at least a portion of the gas generant pyrotechnic composition contents of the housing.  
     
     
       14. The initiator device of  claim 13  wherein the initiator transducer comprises a bridgewire firing signal device. 
     
     
       15. The initiator device of  claim 13  wherein the initiator transducer comprises a SCB firing signal device. 
     
     
       16. The initiator device of  claim 13  wherein the initiator transducer comprises a thin film bridge firing signal device. 
     
     
       17. The initiator device of  claim 13  wherein the initiator transducer comprises a firing signal device selected from the group consisting of a fiber optic coupled laser and a direct laser diode. 
     
     
       18. A gas generant pyrotechnic composition comprising: 
       a mixture containing:  
       a fuel component comprising a quantity of at least one Iron Blue Pigment,  
       an oxidizer component comprising at least one oxidizer effective, upon reaction initiation with at least a portion of the quantity of the at least one Iron Blue Pigment, to produce gaseous reaction products, and  
       a burn rate enhancing additive comprising a quantity of zirconium metal powder, the burn rate enhancing additive effective wherein, upon ignition of the composition, the composition burns at an increased rate as compared to a similar composition without the inclusion of the burn rate enhancing additive,  
       wherein the composition contains about 15 to about 35 composition weight percent of the at least one Iron Blue Pigment, about 45 to about 70 composition weight percent of the at least one oxidizer and about 12 to about 25 composition weight percent of the burn rate enhancing additive.  
     
     
       19. The gas generant pyrotechnic composition of  claim 18  wherein the oxidizer component comprises potassium perchlorate. 
     
     
       20. The gas generant pyrotechnic composition of  claim 18  wherein the zirconium metal powder is of a particle size in a range of at least about 0.5 microns to no more than about 4 microns in diameter. 
     
     
       21. The gas generant pyrotechnic composition of  claim 18  additionally comprising at least about 0.25 and no more than about 6 composition weight percent of at least one additive selected from the group consisting of binders, rheology enhancers and wetting agents. 
     
     
       22. The gas generant pyrotechnic composition of  claim 21  wherein the composition contains a maleic anhydride-styrene copolymer in an alcohol-water mixture wetting agent. 
     
     
       23. The gas generant pyrotechnic composition of  claim 21  wherein the composition contains at least about 0.25 and no more than about 6 composition weight percent of a binder mixture comprising hydroxypropyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose and acetyl triethyl citrate. 
     
     
       24. The gas generant pyrotechnic composition of  claim 21  wherein the composition contains at least about 0.25 and no more than about 6 composition weight percent of a binder mixture comprising a polyacrylate emulsion and alcohol. 
     
     
       25. An initiator device comprising: 
       a charge holder housing containing the gas generant pyrotechnic composition of  claim 18  and  
       an initiator transducer in reaction initiating communication with at least a portion of the gas generant pyrotechnic composition contents of the housing.  
     
     
       26. The initiator device of  claim 25  wherein the initiator transducer comprises a bridgewire firing signal device. 
     
     
       27. The initiator device of  claim 25  wherein the initiator transducer comprises a SCB firing signal device. 
     
     
       28. The initiator device of  claim 25  wherein the initiator transducer comprises a thin film bridge firing signal device. 
     
     
       29. The initiator device of  claim 25  wherein the initiator transducer comprises a firing signal device selected from the group consisting of a fiber optic coupled laser and a direct laser diode. 
     
     
       30. An initiator device comprising: 
       a charge holder housing containing a gas generant pyrotechnic composition, the gas generant pyrotechnic composition comprising about 15 to about 35 composition weight percent Iron Blue Pigment, about 45 to about 70 composition weight percent potassium perchlorate and about 12 to about 25 composition weight percent zirconium metal powder and  
       an initiator transducer in reaction initiating communication with at least a portion of the gas generant pyrotechnic composition contents of the housing.  
     
     
       31. The initiator device of  claim 30  the gas generant pyrotechnic composition additionally comprises at least about 0.25 and no more than about 6 composition weight percent of at least one additive selected from the group consisting of binders, rheology enhancers and wetting agents. 
     
     
       32. The initiator device of  claim 31  wherein the gas generant pyrotechnic composition contains a maleic anhydride-styrene copolymer in an alcohol-water mixture wetting agent. 
     
     
       33. The initiator device of  claim 31  wherein the gas generant pyrotechnic composition contains at least about 0.25 and no more than about 6 composition weight percent of a binder mixture comprising hydroxypropyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose and acetyl triethyl citrate. 
     
     
       34. The initiator device of  claim 31  wherein the gas generant pyrotechnic composition contains at least about 0.25 and no more than about 6 composition weight percent of a binder mixture comprising a polyacrylate emulsion and alcohol. 
     
     
       35. The initiator device of  claim 30  wherein the zirconium metal powder is of a particle size in a range of at least about 0.5 microns to no more than about 4 microns in diameter. 
     
     
       36. The initiator device of  claim 30  wherein the initiator transducer comprises a bridgewire firing signal device. 
     
     
       37. The initiator device of  claim 30  wherein the initiator transducer comprises a SCB firing signal device. 
     
     
       38. The initiator device of  claim 30  wherein the initiator transducer comprises a thin film bridge firing signal device. 
     
     
       39. The initiator device of  claim 30  wherein the initiator transducer comprises a firing signal device selected from the group consisting of a fiber optic coupled laser and a direct laser diode. 
     
     
       40. The initiator device of  claim 13  wherein the burn rate enhancing additive comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of zirconium, titanium and mixtures thereof.